Town board questions local cost of federally funded airport runway lighting upgrade

The town board spent a lengthy portion of its meeting debating an airport runway lighting upgrade and the engineering bills tied to planning the project. Staff presented a packet of airport-related invoices, including engineering expenses that totaled about $113,165.17, and said the federal-aid program will reimburse the bulk of costs; staff estimated the town’s share at roughly 5% of eligible costs, with some projects requiring a 10% local match.

Several board members questioned the program’s cost and transparency. One board member called the scope and line items “excessive” for what he described as lighting upgrades and argued the town should know the full buyout exposure before proceeding. Another member said the primary benefit is allowing fixed-wing critical aircraft to land at night — a point staff emphasized — but added that relatively few residents directly benefit, and that the town should weigh that benefit against the cumulative local share across multiple federally aided projects.

Staff and proponents said engineering work and plan preparation are prerequisites to securing federal reimbursements and that delaying design work could forfeit grant dollars. They also noted long-term run‑time savings from LED fixtures versus bulb-replacement costs and framed the project as preserving the airport’s ability to receive critical flights.

The board did not rescind the project but directed staff to compile a clear statement of the town’s financial exposure (the potential local buyout over the next several years) and consider whether voters should be given an explicit opportunity to weigh in. The board took the routine vote calls on the airport warrants and approved the payments as presented.